SCENT OF CHRISTMAS

Eyvind Hellstrøm is a Norwegian chef who gained fame with restaurant Bagatelle in Oslo between 1982 and 2009. Under the direction of Hellstrøm it became a two-Michelin-starred phenomena. Kristin Jacobsen is a Norwegian chef who has published 7 cookbooks and been a regular contributor on Good Morning Norway, as well as assisting chef to Hellstrøm during countless TV-productions and cook books. 

Since my husband is the Norwegian adult in the family, he always cooks a Norwegian Christmas dinner. I have gratefully sampled, praised and enjoyed it for the past 15 years, but have no idea how to make it.  Last year I was asked to bring a traditional dessert to the book club christmas party, and finally had to purchase a recipe book with Norwegian christmas foods. With plenty of options, I decided on Duft av jul by Eyvind Hellstrøm and Kristin Jacobsen, subtitled as a "kitchen handbook for the christmas season".  

In it I found exemplary simplicity in its organization with five main chapters: Seasonal dishes, Christmas dinners, Side dishes, Desserts, Pralines & Cookies. Each chapter is in turn organized by main ingredient: meat, fish, game etc.  

Chalk it up to good sense, good taste or good training but you will not find crossover versions such as gingerbread-spice-brownie-with-peppermint-frosting here. This kitchen duo has perfect pitch when it comes to adapting traditional flavours for a more contemporary palate. Ingredients range from humble to fancy, but each dish is well balanced, never excessive. The attention to detail is visible in every aspect but never intimidating. I grade its range of diffculty as from "beginner" (fruit salad) to "proud home cook" (pork roll with glazed peach). 

The dessert I brought to the party? It was simple, but it was a success. 

The first 50 pages are available as a sample read here. 

You can find six recipes from the book on Hellstrøms homepage, and also  watch Hellstrøm prepare a roast pork flank (in Norwegian). 

ACE OF VASE

 A vase that makes me happy. Handmade by Joanna Günther. Available at Designtorget. 

IMAGE: PRODUCT IMAGE, DESIGNTORGET WEBSHOP

SKANSENBUTIKEN

Skansenbutiken is housed in a small building, just outside the Skansen outdoor museum. I come for the atmosphere, and small Swedish souvenirs. My sons come for the old fashioned hard candies. It's not the cheapest of souvenir stores, but in return everything is genuine and well made. No plastic viking helmets, only sensible and decorative items, mostly in natural materials. They have finally re-opened their web shop after a few years offline. Pay them a virtual visit. 

2nd SUNDAY IN ADVENT

 

Klövsjö church, Jämtland Sweden, around 1900. 

IMAGE: N. THOMASSON, FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE NATIONAL SWEDISH HERITAGE BOARD

THE NO SHOW SNOW

It will be a green Christmas in Oslo. We have brought out our Snö candles from Skandinavisk to keep hopes high, but the most we can hope for is a frosty scene on Christmas Eve this year. 

IMAGE: PRODUCT IMAGE ILLUMS BOLIGHUS

PLANNING AHEAD

Life with kids also means stains on table linen. Considering white linen table cloth and dark red napkins. Cotton napkins Agnes from Kid. 

IMAGE: PRODUCT IMAGE KID.NO

HISTORISKA JULKALENDERN

The Museum of Swedish history has a fun daily calendar on IGTV, historiskajulkalendern. They share a fun fact or story about Scandinavian christmases through history, followed by a short tutorial for a craft  that relates to the story. If you don´t speak Swedish, you can skip the story and watch the tutorial. I quite enjoy it! 

1st SUNDAY IN ADVENT

Sollentuna church, altar and interior.  

IMAGE: BY  BRORSSON, CC LICENSE 

WHAT IS SCANDI STYLE TO YOU?

Did you think that Scandi style is all about bright, light and stark interiors? 

If that is still yout MO check out: 

GRANIT 

Bolina

Bruka Design

The past 5 years the Scandi-trends have been rich colours and pastels, a lot of pinks and plenty of brass. To see more, visit the christmas sections of: 

Artilleriet

Svenskt Tenn

CLEARLY MINIMAL

My mother has always had an affinity for Ingegerd Råman´s design, thereby introducing me as a teenager to the complexity of minimalistic design. To keep it lead-free IKEA chose crystalline instead of crystal for the DYRGRIP glasses designed by Råman. 

IMAGE: IKEA PRODUCT IMAGE 

HAVE A WOOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS

This baby mobile from Klippan just makes me smile. 

IMAGE: PRODUCT IMAGE KLIPPAN YLLEFRABRIK

CORK IT UP

Sustainable, hand harvested, 100% natural, and with natural water repellant qualities. There is so much to love about cork. These coasters/small trivets from Formgatan are smoked to bring out the material's darker tones. For a list of Formgatan resellers look here. 

IMAGE: PRODUCT IMAGE DESIGNTORGET WEBSHOP

FRA BALLERUD

 

There is something particularly interesting about seeing old images of places one has loved or lived. Johannes Flintsoe (1787-1870) has decorated one of the most famous parlours in the Royal palace in Oslo, fugleværelset. (Her Majesty the queen gives a short presentation of the parlour if you click here.)

Johannes Flintose is also represented in the collections of Nasjonalmuseum, including this coloured drawing of a house on Ballerud, a five minute walk from where we live today. 

IMAGE: FRA BALLERUD, BY JOHANNES FLINTSOE, NASJONALMUSEUM OSLO

IN NEED OF A SOFTIE?

 

Elvang, a small Danish importer of Peruvian alpaca wool make the loveliest throws, pillows and scarves. And apparently also the sweetest little stuffed alpacas I have ever seen. 

IMAGE: PRODUCT IMAGE ELVANG AS WEBSHOP

MULTI FUNCTION SHOPPER

Perstorp AB is a Swedish business group producing industrial chemicals. In the 1950s one of the founders designed a shopper in plastic.  His grandchild put them back in production in 2006 and the Hinza bags are now considered a modern classic. I was hesitant about getting our family new plastic items, until I learned that the bags are extremely durable, and the plastic is recyclable. 

At first I wanted one to store and transport all the library books that we are reading at the speed of light during home isolation. After trying to sort our recycling storage today, I think we might need more than a book carrier. It takes me 15 minutes to walk to the nearest glass and metal recycling container. Perhaps a couple of these in the kitchen nook is the perfect solution? 

Available in several sizes and a wide range of colours, covers sold separately. 

IMAGE: PRODUCT IMAGE ROYALDESIGN.COM

STUEGRAN ANNO 1908

Have you noticed the potted small wispy trees that are ubiquitous in the highly stylized, all white Scandi winter interiors (one example)? Karoline and Bjørnstjerene Bjørnson apparently had a fine specimen as well, as seen here in a photo from their living room at Aulestad in 1908. 

IMAGE: BY PHOTOGRAPHER ANDERS BEER WILSE, FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NORWAY

MUSIC FOR NOVEMBER

Pick a new soundtrack for this gray Thursday: 

Vinterland by Laleh 

Stockholms klockor by Sarah Dawn Finer 

Nattunn is by Cajsa Stina Åkerström 

PEAR WITH ME

In our kitchen, this condiment is to overripe pears what banana bread is to brown bananas. We use it as a substitute for the Swedish staple lingonberry jam or rowan berry jelly. If a recipe calls for apple sauce, this is a fun twist.  If I want less of a kick, I simply leave out the chili and ginger. 

I penned it down at least 17 years ago and attributed the original recipe to Per Dahlberg. Considering how many times we have used this recipe, we owe him a visit to his restaurant Gastro in Helsingborg. 

4 pears, peeled and diced

0,5 tbs butter

2 limefruits, juice only

1 tbs honey

0,5 red chili, thin slices 

1 tsp ginger, grated

Warm pears in butter, without browning. Add honey and stir. Add lime juice to taste. Cook gently until it becomes a lumpy puree. Add chili and ginger. 

Store in refrigerator. 

THE BREAD WINNER

 

There are few things more frustrating to me than items floating about our home without a purpose, rarely used. As a result, I have promised myself not to purchase something new unless I have a specific use or need for it. 

So for two years I have been trying to construct a situation where this basket is moved from the want-list  to the need-list. Perhaps my last resort is to misplace our current breadbasket. If you invite me to a pot luck in the near future, please ask me to bring bread rolls...  

IMAGE: PRODUCT IMAGE BRUKA DESIGN, USED WITH PERMISSION

#NOVENT

Have you come across the hashtag novent lately?  It´s a term coined by the mother of Alexandra Malmqvist Olsson for christmas and advent preparations and celebrations in November. The term captured a modern day practice so aptly that it has been submitted to the official Swedish word book. 

In the US, there is a different rhythm to the season, with Halloween; Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations about one month apart from each other. Three different celebrations, each with rather specific characteristics. 

In Sweden, All Saints Eve is a big family dinner or gathering, in connection with lighting candles on the graves of loved ones who have passed. So there is a natural progression from the lighting of candles in the dark night, via gray skies, fog, frost, the first snow (depending on where in the country you live), to the advent season in late november. Over the past twentyfive years the advent season, along with its supposed accoutrements, has gained in significance. No longer a mere count down to the Christmas holidays, it is now considered the official start of the Holiday season, with the consequence that November now is a season of holiday preparation. A form of count down to the original countdown...

A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO NORSE MYTHS

The Swedish History Museum, Historiska Museet, has published an audio guide with old Norse myths, translated to English. 

Listen in. 

IMAGE: ENGRAVED ILLUSTRATION FROM THE PROSE EDDA, BY OLUF OLFSEN BAGGE, PUBLISHED 1847 

OLD IS THE NEW MODERN

The oldest known flower pot in Sweden is a royal one from 1580. It was footed, with emerald green glaze, and bore a family crest. Sörmlandskrukan, though crafted from unrefined 10 000 year old Swedish clay, is its very opposite in terms of decor. Hand made by Ida Netterberg. 

IMAGE: PRODUCT IMAGE, DESIGNTORGET WEBSHOP

MAKING SCENTS OF IT ALL

 

I have been waiting for this collection to drop since I first heard about it three years ago. IKEA has teamed up with the founder of BYREDO, Ben Gorham, to launch a collection of scented candles aptly named osynlig, which means invisible in Swedish. Birch and juniper, fig and cypress, apricot blossom and bamboo, are among the many combinations available in IKEA stores from the 12th of November.

IMAGE: PRODUCT IMAGE, IKEA.COM

PIPPI OF TODAY

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the beloved character Pippi Longstocking from the books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Together with Save the children, the Astrid Lindgren Company has initiated the Pippi of today campaign to earmark funds to support refugee girls.  

Millions of families are forced to leave their homes around the globe, and girls are especially vulnerable when on the move. Much like Pippi, they have to navigate new neighbourhoods and rely on their own strength to create a home, a family, and a future for themselves. 

Support the campaign with a christmas gift from the merchandise range available online at Astrid Lindgren butiken, or with a Pippi donation.

Elinzfotografi is the creator behind the wonderful print above called "Girl Power", available in three sizes from the webshop. Parts of the proceeds support the campaign. 

IMAGE: ELINZFOTOGRAFI, USED WITH PERMISSION 

KITCHEN FAVOURITE

Knitted kitchen towels are textural bliss. Ours is spread on the counter more or less permanently, for the daily stack of hand washed water bottles air drying before their next shift. 

My lovely neighbour in Tromsø knitted her kitchen textiles herself. I have a wash cloth by her that is a treasured favourite. If you have her skills, you can make your own. If you have my skills, you can shop one from Humdakin. (These have plenty of labels/hangers. I brought out the seam ripper and carefully removed the extras.) 

 

IMAGE: PRODUCT IMAGE HUMDAKIN WEB SHOP

NOVEMBER 2020

Oslo is growing emptier by the day as businesses are limiting opening hours, employees are working from home and crowds are banned. The city is preparing to suppress a second surge of Covid-19. The prospects of a family Christmas for those of us with family spread across the globe are slim. 

Expecting the pandemic to put a damper on my excitement for the holidays, I was surprised to find that it seems to be the other way around. I could hardly get the the children off to their covid-proofed halloween parties soon enough yesterday. The minute I returned from dropping them off, the cobweb, skulls and pumpkins were packed away. I brought our small olive tree inside and strung it with fairy lights, filled the oil diffuser with a mix of citrus and pine, draped wool blankets over the sofas and sat down with a steaming cup of herbal tea and a vintage copy of a book about floral design. 

"The more digital our lives become, the more we crave the physical" says the insightful owner of Studioilse, Ilse Crawford, and I am inclined to agree. After a day´s worth of work in front of a screen, limited in person social interaction, and not even a commute to offer a change of pace, I long to experience texture, flavour, temperature, scent and moments in nature. 

A home that enhances everyday hygge during an otherwise gray season deserves to be seen as more than  frills and consumerism. It may very well be the antidote to the distanced, digital and disheartening situation we are navigating. 

Donate what you can to a cause you believe in. 

Stay informed and stay safe. 

Find ways to stay connected. To others. To your self. 

IMAGE: OSLO/CHRISTIANIA AROUND 1880, FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF THE SWEDISH NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD